


Alone Together

by KnowledgeOfNonsense, theawesometoris32



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: 80's songs, Angst, Apocalypse, Blood, Child Death, Death, Emotional Deaths, Emotional Trauma, Eventual Smut, Everyone is Dead, F/M, Fighting, Fluff, Loki is A misogynist, Major character death - Freeform, Probably PTSD, Reader has troubles, Reader is a BAMF, Violence, Whole world went boom, Will be 2nd POV, damn technology, god dammit tony, good guy steve, mentions of possible sexual assault, puns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-07 12:05:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 20,854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7714300
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KnowledgeOfNonsense/pseuds/KnowledgeOfNonsense, https://archiveofourown.org/users/theawesometoris32/pseuds/theawesometoris32
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Tony Stark accidentally brings down the world as we know it, the reader is left to fend for herself. Soon she stumbles across two other survivors, Steve Rogers and Loki. They join forces in attempts to prolong their survival efforts, but nothing really works out for anyone, does it?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Final Countdown

Scientists predicted that the world would eventually come to an inevitable end, as all things naturally do. They’d even managed to get to the point of predicting the exact year - something like 7 billion years until the sun runs out of hydrogen in its core, which would mean no sunshine for our puny little planet. Of course, there’s many other factors that could bring an end to the world, including our ever continuous pollution, our wars, and our running out of resources. However, nobody predicted that a single person would be the downfall of the world. 

Tony Stark, widely known as a genius, billionaire, philanthropist, playboy, and most recently, the destroyer of mankind.

In all fairness, Tony Stark hadn’t set out to kill off 99.99999% of the planet’s population, he was only researching and experimenting for “the good of science!” like he always had. Curiosity always got the best of him, and while his intentions were always from the goodness of his heart, it also always seemed to morph into something ghastly and immensely dangerous. 

It started off with him fooling around one day drunk, working on some sort of mass microchip that would be able to repair broken wires without even being near it. In theory, that was an awesome idea; being able to just fix every single computerized object in the world from his desk with just the click of a button. No more tech support, no more hour long waiting calls where people are pulling their hair out due to some foreign man named Rajit who is trying his hardest to offer ways to fix the solution, no more trouble. 

At least, that had been the goal. 

Unfortunately during his drunken shenanigans, Tony managed to, simply put it, hack into every single microchip, car computer, and basically anything with a hard drive, in the world. The only thing not hacked into were his own robots, seeing as he’d ensured they have protected chips in order to prevent a foreign enemy from hacking into them and using them for impure needs. Among the EVERYTHING he managed to hack into, Tony also managed to gain access to the computers that launch missiles. Him, being drunk, laughed, shaking his head and leaving it alone for the time being, as he wanted to do the smart thing and sleep off his intoxication.

Now, what many people were not aware of, was the fact that Tony had a daughter. Three years ago a woman who he’d slept with claimed she was on the pill, and had jumped at the opportunity of forgoing the condom.

She wound up pregnant.

Now, she’d died during childbirth (karma most likely) but had written down the father on a piece of paper, as she was extremely nervous before labour and wanted to ensure her child wouldn’t end up in the adoption process and have a life of living hell, just like she had. 

CPS showed up at Stark Tower, and sat down with a newborn baby in a basket, explaining to Tony about the series of unfortunate events. Tony was shocked, ready to turn his back and let them take his kid to a better home, but when they asked if he wanted to hold her, his will crumbled and he knew he couldn’t. He’d kept it out of the press, knowing that if his enemies knew that he had a child, of all things, that it could be used against him very easily. He wanted to protect her, and soon he knew he’d do anything to protect his, as Clint called her “Creature that made the Gentlemen’s club go bankrupt” as he’d all but abandoned screwing random females every night to play with his daughter. 

Tony had the right idea to turn away from his project after getting shitfaced so he wouldn’t make a mistake, but he’d forgotten to lock his computer. The next morning, before he was awake, little Maria, named after Tony’s mother, wandered into his lab, not unusual for her as she was looking for her dad. Tony always called her Mari for short. She noticed the computer, and it seemed to call to her with it’s bright colours and flashing images. She managed to pull herself up onto the spinny chair, giggling as she slammed her meaty little fists onto the keyboard, managing to hit a combination of keys that Tony had programmed for self destruction.

Now, why did Tony have a set of keys for self destruction? In case someone were to infiltrate the facility and access important information. It would be a natural thing to do, because he had about 3.2 million files worth of top secret information that if wound up in the wrong hands, could be detrimental to the safety of the world. 

What he hadn’t pictured, was his child managing to hit all nine command keys at once to trigger said destruction. Right when Mari did this, Tony walked in with an icepack pressed to his forehead and a cup of coffee in his hand. When he saw her sitting at the computer, staring in awe at the countdown timer flashing down on the screen, he dropped the coffee and rushed to her side, scooping her up and leaning over the computer, desperately trying to disable the countdown, but since he’d hacked into every microchip on the planet, the two had linked and locked him out with every single password each chip had. That was close to billions of passwords, and no time to stop them. What was worse, was the fact that everything was linked for the self destruction because of this...It was over and there was nothing he could do to stop it. 

Mari looked up at her dad with wide, innocent eyes, clearly proud that she was learning how to use computers just like her dad, but when she saw the dire expression on his face, she tugged on his shirt, pouting.

“Daddy, look! I can make robots too now?” She asked, and Tony smiled sadly, shaking his head as he hugged her tight. There was 3 minutes left on the clock, and he knew it was hopeless to even try. He couldn’t simply unplug the computer because there was a backup battery in case of failure. A computer with a laptop resurrection basically. 

The guilt of everything was weighing on him as he picked up the intercom, taking a deep breath before pressing the button.

“I’m sorry everybody...2 minutes and 30 seconds from now the entire planet is going to go to shit. Even your damn toaster is going to give up. I fucked up again but this time I can’t fix it because of my own security. JARVIS is locked out, I’m sorry. If you want to try and live through this your best bet is underground, but you don’t have a lot of time.” He paused, his voice breaking as he noticed Mari’s expression. He knew she had no idea what was going on, but she trusted her dad. He hugged her tighter, before continuing.

“It’s over guys, it’s the end game. Stark out.” He said, letting go of the button and picking up his daughter before rushing her and him to where the suits were. He’d made her one a long time ago as a joke, but it worked just like a smaller version of his own. He strapped her in and she looked confused. He quickly climbed into his own suit and took her hand. He was able to control her suit from within his so it was on autopilot, and they went out the window together. 

Everyone who was in the tower began to panic, heading for the parking garage in hopes it was underground enough to survive whatever was about to happen, seeing as Tony was extremely cryptic with his warning. Unfortunately seeing as all cars have a computer chip, they’d all be killed in explosion after extremely expensive explosion. 

Steve and Bucky had managed to run out of the building and into the Subway, survival instincts urging them to find safety.The trains currently in transit were on the opposite end of the city right now, so there was no risk of an explosion down there for a while, or at least not one close to them. They’d heard the announcement and went together, as they were best pals and thought with the same process. 

Tony and Mari were extremely high in the sky at this point, with about 25 seconds left on the countdown. All they could do now was wait for the world to fall apart beneath them. Mari still had no idea what had happened, and Tony wasn’t about to tell his three year old that she basically doomed the human race. Although she was the one who pressed the button, it was ultimately his fault; you can’t blame a toddler for doing toddler things, even if they destroy the planet. 

But in what could possibly be your final moments, what are you supposed to say to said toddler? How do you express your final words without inflicting terror into your innocent child's thoughts? I'm 

Tony had no choice but to ignore his daughter’s questions as he watched blankly as the panic began to rise below. 

Ten seconds left before the world as everyone knew it would blow up. The missiles connected to the destruction, the toasters burning down houses, the cars blowing up all at once. His daughter and him may become the last people to watch everything crumble, and it was his own fault.

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

The landscape below them erupted into a synchronized disaster. Cars all exploded at the exact second the timer ended, missiles flew out from the tower and other buildings run by the government, it all started to go to hell. Tony and Mari watched in horror as Stark Tower began to crumble, but that only lasted a few seconds, as the suits began to malfunction. Mari screamed as her suit dropped a few feet suddenly, and Tony grabbed on to her hand quickly, only to realize he himself was also on the brink of dropping. The lights inside began to flicker, warnings flashing across the suits screens, and he hugged Mari’s suit close to his as she began to sob. Tears were streaming down his own face as he watched the terror build on his only daughter’s face, her screams growing as they dropped from the sky when both suits shut down. 

He demanded she close her eyes, yelling over the sound of the wind rushing past them as they fell hundreds of feet toward the water below. Thinking quickly, he knew they would sink and drown in the suits, as there were no way for them to physically swim up in them without the power of the suit itself being turned on. Not wanting to prolong the suffering, he only had one choice. He managed to unlatch the back while it was still falling, and climb over the suit to unlatch her. Once out of the suit, he hugged her close and spoke reassuring words into her ear, holding her tight as her sobs quieted down. He watched solemnly as the suits crumpled upon impact, knowing that they were next. They were going to die, but at least he wasn’t dying alone like he assumed he would a few years ago before this little girl popped into his life. 

When they hit the water, it was a brief feeling of being crushed into a billion pieces, everything shattering on impact, as we all know water turns into cement after falling from a high enough height. It was only temporary though, the last feeling on Tony’s mind was peace as his arms were locked around Mari, who was still as they both passed on within a few milliseconds. 

All over the world everything came crashing down. Every home these days had a computer, and in countries like Africa that were third world and didn’t have as much technology? Missiles took care of that, wiping out city after city. If someone watching from a surviving satellite could see - all over the world lights were going out. 

Steve and Bucky were spared from the horrific events above, minus the fact that there were sparks and fires starting all under the transit from security cameras that they hadn’t realized had chips in them - damn grandpa complex with being raised in the 20’s and all. Now that their original plan to hide out underground was a bust, they needed to come up with something else, and fast. They thought it would be simple, and managed to stay under there for about a day before declaring it worth the risk to search for any survivors. 

They emerged from the tunnels, the entire city a mirage of dust and crumbling building, smoke, fires and the deafening sound of silence. The world was quiet, no crickets chirped, only the remaining sound of the fires burning and wind. Steve was coughing as he emerged after Bucky, looking around with his eyes squinted.

They were completely alone up there, charred bodies scattered around, Bucky’s expression was complete and utter fear. While gazing out into the destitute wasteland that was once their home, they didn’t expect 4 droids to fly toward them at a super speed. Bucky had seen them before Steve, and managed to shield his best pal from the volley of bullets. Before Steve could even snap out of his shock-induced daze, Bucky was collapsing into his arms. 

“Bucky!” Steve screamed, and he shook his friend’s limp body, but all in vain. 

Bucky was dying.

The winter soldier choked on his own blood, managing a small, pathetic smile.

“Looks like we've reached the end of the line pal…” Bucky managed to gurgle out, wheezing as his lungs were filling up with blood, the lack of oxygen getting to his brain causing him to begin to pass out. 

After all he'd fought for, after all that he'd survived, hell, he’d even survived the apocalypse, just to end in a hail of bullets. 

Steve hadn’t cried in a very long time, but after those robots were long gone, Steve spent the night holding the bloodied, mangled corpse of his best friend, sobbing. The echoes could probably be heard through all of the tunnels, as he’d retreated back down there to spend the last night with his oldest friend.

His comrade.

His brother. 

Eventually he knew he had to let go, gently laying his friend down and emerging from the tunnels once more. It seemed like the skies were clearing up, but everything was still burning. Leaving the city was the best bet, so he started the journey out of the giant city of ash, having to stop due to the uncomfortable burning in his lungs from the toxic gas and air floating around him in wisps. He’d take cover in the subway as there were hundreds of entrances, making it convenient to hide in until the wind blew away another patch of poisonous air. 

Among one of the times he re-emerged from the many tunnels on the way out of the city, Steve was both surprised and enraged at the sight of another person - none other than Loki. The demi-god who was behind the last attempt of enslaving the human race. 

Of course Steve always held a slight, well MORE than a slight grudge against Loki, as he already nearly destroyed New York once before...and now he couldn’t help but assume, despite Tony outright admitting it had been his fault, that the world’s end was because of Loki. To give Steve a bit of a break, he had literally lost the last person he held dear to his heart, and to see Loki walking around the crumbling ruin so casually...Steve couldn’t help it.

He charged Loki, tackling the lithe, panther-like man to the ground. Loki hadn’t even noticed Steve was there, he was simply scrounging around for any sort of supplies to carry him out through however many days he could until he was called back to Asgard. Steve had no clue, but the reason Loki was down here was due to the fact he’d been expelled from his home once again, basically otherworldly grounding. After watching everyone be destroyed the moment he’d landed on Earth, he felt like he was no longer worthy of his power, as he had come to enjoy the company of many mortals. His power - his magic, his will to be the silver tongued trickster the world had come to know, he felt it slowly seep away as he’d watched everything explode around him. 

Steve, knowing none of this, let out his full rage on Loki. Which in all retrospect, was a LOT. Loki took quite a few jabs before he could properly react, confused as all hell. He just saw the world go to shit, how in the hell did a mere mortal survive such circumstances? 

“What in gods name are you doing?!” Loki demands, coherent enough now to block most of Steve's angered punches.

Steve’s reply was simply another angry yell, continuing his brutal, outraged attack. Loki had finally had enough, maneuvering Steve to put him in a headlock. Despite the raven haired man’s thinner appearance, he was able to subdue Steve to a point where they were both breathing heavily. When Steve’s shoulders slumped in defeat, Loki released him, taking a few steps back. 

“Now that you’ve managed to compose yourself, care to tell me why you’re attacking one of the only survivors left on this planet?” Loki asked again, and Steve shook his head, still panting. 

“You...you didn’t do this did you Loki…” Steve realized aloud, knowing that Loki had come to enjoy humans, even if he couldn’t control them. 

Loki, despite sitting with a fallen hero in a barren wasteland, had enough sarcasm remaining to roll his eyes. 

“Of course I didn’t do this, why would I destroy something only to leave the job unfinished and wind up trapped here? We’re both in quite the quandary at the moment…” Loki mused, unable to keep the bitterness from his voice.

“Well, what do you suppose we do from here then?” Steve finally asked after a few moments of silence.

Loki sighed, shrugging a little bit.

“I think the wisest decision would be to work together, seeing as we’re alone and our chances of surviving would increase significantly were we to pair up.” Loki mused, watching Steve’s reaction. Loki wasn’t an idiot, clearly, he knew Steve hated him, and pairing up was going to result in one or both of them at eachother’s throats, but survival was better with more than one person, that was a fact...and he’d never admit it, but he’d rather be around someone he disliked than be completely alone with his thoughts. That was dangerous.

Steve sighed, nodding in agreement. He held out his hand for Loki to shake, kind of a truce symbol, and Loki took it, both giving a firm shake before letting go.

They resumed their journey together, scavenging for food, clothing, and other stuff on the way out of the city. 

About a week later, moving toward the city in hopes of there being some survivors in a more populated area, a girl with dirty (y/h/c/) hair hiked about 35 miles outside of the city. She had a numerous amount of cuts, dried blood inside and around both nostrils, and more bruises than a clumsy anemic. Her clothing was dirty and smelled like a combination of sweat, a teenage boy’s locker room, and a dried, metallic smell that could only be blood. 

In summary? She looked like absolute shit. 

It had been three days since the only companion she’d had throughout this entire ordeal sacrificed himself for her wellbeing - distracting those mangy scum that tried physically forcing her to commit some pretty unpleasant deeds, so the one she’d turned to for company after saving him from the explosion and letting him into her dad’s bunker - he forced her to move on without him, leaving her no choice but to run and abandon him.

His screams and cries of pain as the men brutally murdered him in cold blood haunted her dreams for three nights, causing her to get very little sleep.

Did we mention he was only 11 years old? That boy had more bravery in one cell than any of those men, or her for that matter, had in their entire bodies. 

The guilt was eating her alive, and as she moved closer to the possibility of finding other survivors, she felt that age old sense of anxiety begin to creep up her throat. What if the only survivors were like the guys who tried attacking her and forcing her to do terrible things? What if she was better off going through this on her own until the unknown finally brought her to her demise?

She felt the taste of bile rising in her throat, and started heading toward the river, needing to get clean. The smell of dried and not so dried blood was affecting her mental state, and she figured washing her clothes might grant her that small sense of normalcy and allow her to be able to get her nerves under control. 

She quickly arrived at the river, stripping down to her underwear and bra and throwing her clothes into the water. She momentarily paused before pulling off her remaining undergarments; knowing it was unsanitary to wear underwear for this long. 

She washed everything quickly and hung it out to dry, pulling the only blanket she had out of her bag of supplies and laying it out, before climbing in the water in attempt to get clean herself. The cold water shocked her system, and she splashed her face with the chilly water, ridding her skin of the dried blood and sweat. When she was at the point of chattering teeth, she climbed out of the water and pulled the blanket around her, waiting patiently for her clothes to dry. 

She figured all water was polluted at this point, but since she had a water filter it was basically safe to drink - she didn't give a fuck if she got poisoned through her skin though, at least she was clean and calmer. 

It was extremely hot out, so her clothes would hopefully dry quickly. She sat there for a few moments, almost dozing off.

Unfortunately she was jolted awake when she heard two, loud voices yelling, seemingly at each other. She frowned, scrambling away from the blanket and yanking her clothes down from the branch they had been drying on - putting on her still damp clothes and packing up her shit. 

She moved quickly, heading for the sound of voices. She was so desperate for any sight of another living person, but she knew she had to be cautious. She slowed her pace, sticking close to the trees as she saw a makeshift tent, and two men standing in front of it, getting into each others faces.

“Loki I swear to god-” a tall, familiar looking man growled, his skin covered in flecks of dirt and dried blood. His hair looked to once be blonde, but with the falling debris and dust clouds, it was more of a light brown at this point. His baby blue eyes showed a slight possibility of kindness, but toward the man standing in front of him they held nothing but anger. 

“Swearing to me won't accomplish anything, Steven.” The one named Loki said, and she put two and two together. The name, the attitude, the raven locks and the piercing gaze… This was the alien man that tried to enslave the human race a few years prior.

She figured the other man was Steve Rogers, Captain America. She took a step back, knowing it was more dangerous to be near these men, who so clearly were about to cause another disaster between just the two of them. 

The girl continued to take a few steps backwards, praying that they wouldn't notice her. She turned around and started running, snapping a twig as she took off. 

What she hadn't noticed was Steve and Loki had heard the snap, causing them to cease all arguments and investigate. Steve ran after the sound and noticed a figure darting away in the distance. 

Steve eventually gave up, returning to their camp. He mentioned to Loki that he could have sworn the figure was a girl, but Loki brushed the thought away, his age old misogynistic views coming out and explaining that “a woman couldn't survive on her own for more than three days.” 

Boy, was he ever wrong about that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toris AN: So knowledge and I made a baby. We let our beautiful minds intermingle with one another unprotected, and thus wound up with this beautiful, bouncing word baby. We're both pretty damn excited about this, and after almost a year of planning, our baby is finally crowning. Stay beautiful, lovelies 
> 
> Knowledges AN: Hi guys, I did it again. Started a project without finishing or even updating my last billion stories. I know you've all been waiting for Remember to end, for me to update UOP and for me to update literally everything, but this idea has been in the making for nearly a year. Toris and I had a brilliant plan to completely fuck with your hearts - so here you go. It had us both in tears while writing and it's only the first chapter. So, grab a blanket, an empty bowl to capture your tears, and enjoy the upcoming roller coaster my dudes. I love you all and thank you


	2. Alive and Kicking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hot soup and unpleasant introductions

You found a decent enough place to rest, a small shed that was far enough from anything electronic, meaning that it hadn't been obliterated like so many other structures. You think it might have been used as a tree stand, perhaps it's purpose was once for hunting. The wood it was made out of had a few holes rotted into it, but you easily patched it up with various debris. Once you'd deemed it safe enough to settle down for the day, you climbed in, barricading the door with a few stray blocks that you dug up from what appeared to be a rudimentary fire pit.

You were so tired, having to travel quite a ways to escape the carnage that was once civilization. It was still hot out, all of the various fires heating the air, and while a gust of wind may bring some relief to your overheated skin, it brings absolutely horrible scents to your nose. Every time you take a deep inhale you swear that you're going to puke, but instead just end up dry heaving due to the low contents of your stomach.

You laid out the blanket from your pack, double-checked that the door was still shut, and laid down. Sleep came to you fast, when you finally allowed yourself to relax and accept that you needed sleep in order to keep going.

It was nightfall when you jolted up, your nightmare fading from your mind, but still instilling a sense of dread within you. You probably should have gone back to sleep, but even if you could manage to calm down from your disturbed dreams, your hunger cramps would have never allowed you.

Now you weren't some damsel in distress that couldn't fend for herself, that was clear, but due to the unfortunate circumstances (like the world blowing up) you didn't exactly have a stockpile. And while you could always head out and attempt to nail something like say, a rabbit or a fowl of some sort, you simply didn't have the energy nor the equipment for it.

Didn't those guys have a camp set up? Despite how makeshift their set up seemed, they'd still have to have some food. Some food that you could very well use right about now. Your stomach growled angrily as you made your decision, your potential starvation overcoming the knowledge that sneaking into these guys camp was a suicide mission, you couldn't trust them. You had to be sneaky…

Turns out, being sneaky was a lot easier than you'd expected. You'd found their camp easily enough, since they'd given up on the hope of finding other survivors, they hadn't been taking any measures to cover up their tracks.

Their camp was still in the beginnings, but it had developed quite a bit since you'd last seen it. There were now posts holding up the cloth that served as their shelter, and it even looked like they were working on building something more stable. They also had a fire pit, if you could even call it that. You couldn’t judge their poor excuse of a fire too harshly, though, as it was far more than you had yourself. The only heat you had was your own body heat and that thin blanket that served as so much more than just a blanket.

What's more - was the fact that they had some sort of pot balanced over the fire, and judging by the smell wafting in your direction, dinner was served.

It seemed as though the two of them had left their little camp for the time being, so you figured the coast was clear for now. You crept into the camp, making sure to stay on your toes. However, the smell of the stew that was boiling on the fire was distracting you greatly.

You couldn't hold back anymore, rushing over and using a bowl that was next to the fire pit to scoop some out. You ate quickly, burning your mouth at how hot the contents in the bowl were, surely damaging your stomach lining with how physically hot the stew was, but you were so hungry you didn't care.

Once you'd finished the first bowl, you scooped up a second helping, about to dig in again...until you heard someone clear their throat.

You froze, eyes wider than an owls as you slowly placed the bowl down. There was stew dripping down your chin, and your hair was still a tangled mess. Your clothes were cleanish and you didn't stink as badly (thank god for that stick of deodorant) but you were definitely not suitable for an introduction right now.

“You're a sneaky little minx, aren't you?” Loki asked, the amusement clearly evident in his tone alone. You slowly stood, forcing yourself to stand up straight as you turned to face the inhabitants of the camp. Your expression was guarded, almost neutral, even, but you had no idea that Loki could see the fear in your eyes.

You stood there for a moment, before turning to make a run for it. Unfortunately, Steve had been waiting behind you in case you tried just that. You ran straight into him, panic overwhelming you as you began to put up a fight, much like a caged animal would. He had his arms wrapped around you to subdue you, but all he was accomplishing was amping you up more. You let out a cry as you fought, fearing that despite Steve’s good guy, “Americas angel” reputation, he was exactly like those men that killed the 11-year-old you'd befriended in the beginning.

Finally, you're exhaustion and fear clashed, causing you to collapse in a fit of sobs, the knowledge that you were probably going to die for stealing their food lodged in your brain. Loki was watching, completely dumbfounded.

“Seriously? She's the one that's been following us?” He asked skeptically, to which Steve shot him a warning glare.

“Loki she's been through enough. Shut Up.” Steve replied, causing Loki to roll his eyes.

You continued to tremble in Steve’s arms as he lowered to the ground with you, his thumbs rubbing calming circles on your temple as you tried to force yourself to calm down. Weakness was not in your game plan. You'd never been allowed to show weakness, and acting like this right now was not something you were proud of.

You were disgusted.

You squirmed between struggling gasps, still attempting to break free, but Steve's arms were like a vice. He held on, still stroking your head.

When you'd finally calmed down enough, you found the words you'd been looking for.

“Let me go” you demanded, surprised at how firm your voice was despite crying the last ten minutes.

Steve was hesitant to oblige, but he did as you asked/demanded.

You stood in front of Loki and Steve for about a minute, hugging your arms to your chest as you eyed them warily. After that minute was up, you opened your mouth to speak, mentally cursing as the stupid words left your mouth.

“Thanks for the stew!” You squeaked out, then turned and bolted into the trees, neither of them ready for you to make a run for it in a direction you hadn't come.

You ran through the trees, feeling reinvigorated now that your belly was full. That stew had filled you with the energy you needed to be returned to your proper strength, which was something you'd always been proud of. You'd grown up in an environment where you were taught that strength would serve you in the best and worst of times, thus learning self-defense, and training with your father.

You slowed down to a jog, the memory of your father causing your chest to seize up uncomfortably. If he could see you now, you didn't think he'd be very proud of you, resorting to stealing and fleeing instead of fighting and earning trust- not in that order of course.

You made it all the way to the river again, further than from where you'd bathed. It was extremely dark outside, the sky was overcast, the light of the moon barely peaking through. It offered very little light, and seeing as every other light source was busted, including the fires that once ran rampant (which were put out by storms two days prior) you were rather on edge.

You'd always had a small fear of the dark, something you'd never been allowed to accept. However, after your dad had passed, the darkness felt all too real. Even at your age, since you'd been on your own, you had several night lights in your house whenever you slept. Just in case.

Now, there were no night lights, no street lights shining through the window, and no moonlight significant enough to light your path.

Seeing no other option, you decided to climb a tree and sleep up there for the night. You figured you weren't important enough for Loki and Steve to keep searching blindly for, thus coming to the conclusion it would be safe to sleep for a few hours again.

  
You, however, were wrong.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN from Knowledge: Let us know what you guys thought of this chapter! Kept it much shorter than the original introduction, cuz we know for a fact some people out there are turned off by too many words….not us, but some people. Thank you so much for the kudos you’ve given for the first chapter, it really motivates us and we’re so happy you’ve liked the story thus far! Love ya my dudes, stay awesome. c:
> 
> AN from Toris: Ditto :D We're seriously so excited about this story, so it's fantastic when we see that you guys have left kudos! It's like that finding an extra dollar in your pants c: Love you guys! Stay beautiful my lovelies <3


	3. I eat Cannibals

You woke with a start, nearly falling out of the tree you had dozed off in. What saved you from what would've been a nasty fall, however, was a slender arm snaked around your waist. You went to scream, but before you were even granted the chance to let your vocal chords kick into high gear, a cold, pale hand slapped over your mouth, thus muffling your cries. 

You began to squirm violently against his hold, that caged animal instinct kicking in once again. The still silent assailant writhed his second arm around you, holding you tightly while he pressed his thumb against a pressure point on your neck. You thrashed your body weakly, having only a few seconds before blacking out altogether. He let go before you were granted that sweet release of being engulfed by darkness; much to your distaste.

“My dear, for someone who’s survived on their own for so long, you seem to have no idea what you’re doing.” He taunted. You recognized that voice as Loki’s from before, however, the content of his words completely took over any slight recognition, for it triggered a flashback, to exactly how you’d managed this far.

He held your hand tightly, the two of you running for your lives. It was becoming an all too familiar recurrence, these life or death situations, but the pair of you ran on nonetheless. His breathing was heavy as his lungs struggled for air, but you pushed on, knowing you had to. The men were gaining on you, so the only options left at this point were to surrender and face whatever torment they had in mind, or continue to run. 

The little boy, small as he was for an 11 year old, had bravery far outdoing that of his size. He let go of your hand, stopping. You skidded to a halt, turning to grab his hand and keep going, but he shook his head.

“Y/n, go. I’ll hold them off, I can’t run anymore. You have to keep going” He replied, his lower lip trembling. You felt the tears streaming down your face before you heard the sob echo off of your lips. 

“No no no, no we’re going together, I’ll carry you come on please!” You begged, hearing the outraged hollers of the men chasing the pair of you. You tugged on his arm again, but he shook his head, wrenching himself from your weakened grasp and dashing to intercept the men. You were about to chase them, but the men had spotted him already, whereas you were hidden by shadows. You bit back a sob as you watched them surround the boy...the only companion you’d come to know since the world was wiped out. You couldn’t watch, turning and running into the trees. The sounds of his screams rippling through the silence of the woods. 

You were forced out of your flashback when Loki shook you harder. You had a blank expression on your face, the stoic, numb emotion blatantly obvious. 

He was yelling at you, but it all sounded like he was underwater to you. You felt like a failure, and you knew that it was the truth. After your years of training, the hundreds of hours spent learning how to keep yourself, and others, alive, and every time you’re faced with the realization that you literally couldn’t save those you cared about or those who needed you, you become a sobbing, trembling wreck. 

Loki continued shaking you, but your head was flopping lamely around as you continued to stare blankly at absolutely nothing. Finally, he’d had enough, managing to get you out of the tree without either of you falling. He began to carry you back to his and Steve’s camp, grumbling about how pathetic humans were the entire way. You’d ended up passing out about halfway there, welcoming the darkness as a break from the seizing, crippling flashback.

When you came to, you were in a much more advanced shelter than your tree branch. That smell of stew cooking again wafted past your nostrils, but you couldn’t move. Your stomach growled, angry over the fact that you weren’t following that delicious smell. You let out a groan, eyes struggling to open. When you did lift your heavy eyelids, there were two faces peering down at you. You couldn’t help the exasperated sigh, masking your surprise quite well. 

“Can’t you just leave me alone?” You asked, your voice raspy. Loki smirked.

“Can’t you just stop stealing our food?” He retorted, and you rolled your eyes, earning a dizzy spell.

“Loki, shut up.” Steve interrupted, and you gave him a grateful smile. Loki was an asshole, and it seemed like Steve knew how to deal with him. 

“What’s your name?” Steve asked after a moment of silence. You hesitated, not sure if you were ready to leap that boundary and expose personal information. You could always claim your name as something else, they’d have no way of proving you wrong...except Loki was the god of lies, the trickster - you knew he’d be able to tell if you were lying or not. 

Your shoulders slumped in defeat, making the decision to just be honest for the first time in what felt like years.

“Y/n. My name is Y/n.”

Steve nodded, giving a small, reassuring smile before speaking. 

“Well Y/n, instead of being alone how would you like to stay with us? It’s dangerous out there as you’ve probably seen” He paused, noticing the flicker of indignation on your face, your obvious pride...well, obvious. 

“I mean, not that you haven’t managed already, we just thought you’d prefer company instead of constant solitude.” Steve finished, Loki raising his eyebrow when he’d said “we just thought”, as if he had any say in this whatsoever. He truly couldn’t care less as to whether or not you stayed, but he was now a little miffed that Steve had spoken on his behalf. 

“I don’t want to be any more trouble than I already have been.” You replied, not meeting either of their gazes, planting your sight firmly on the ground. Loki obviously detected the guilt in your voice, feeling a slight twinge of sympathy for you. 

Slight.

You’d clearly been through hell, and it wasn’t something you were about to admit either, which he found admirable. He'd never admit that though.

“You ate a bowl of stew, that's not any trouble and it's not like you wasted it.” Steve pointed out, obviously intent on convincing you to stay. 

You huffed as you considered your options. Either you could go back to your little shed that you called home, or you could completely go against everything you'd been taught and settle down with these guys. Whom you'd only heard about on television.

In all honesty, the little you’d heard about them had been completely brushed off, seeing as your father had taught you that celebrity news was completely irrelevant, seeing as you’d never need to know anything about them, nor encounter them in your life.

Man, was he ever wrong. So much for being prepared for anything and everything.

Apparently, you were taking too long to decide, because Loki was growing impatient.

“Is it really that difficult a decision? You’d be far better off working as a team than surviving solo. It’s suicide out there on your own.” He pointed out. You weren’t very appreciative of his “know-it-all” tone, and it only seemed to increase your stubborn pride.

“Just because you couldn’t survive on your own doesn’t mean I’m unable to you pompous twat!” You snapped. If looks could kill - Loki would be missing a head at this point, because you were glaring daggers at his throat. 

You were sitting up, clearly ready to launch yourself at Loki, but Steve, bless his sweet heart, interfered before you could hurt yourself...or Loki, seeing as he had an obligation to help protect his survival...he cringed at the mere thought of the word, “partner.”

You winced at the contact Steve made; holding you back with a gentle but firm hand. You weren’t injured, it was just more of a shock to your system, as you hadn’t had any physical contact in a while...aside from when Steve was holding you back the day prior when you'd stolen that stew. 

It felt pleasant, and that’s what shocked you. You snapped out of it, realizing that since these two were getting along just fine, there was only one explanation as to why they wanted you.

You were going to become their stew. 

You never imagined Loki or Steve Rogers being cannibals, but when hunger is gnawing at your insides, you'll do anything to fill your stomach. That would explain the surplus of stew despite the lack of animals. Now for how well they were getting long...there was only one conceivable explanation for that. They became gay lovers after the world went boom, which you could understand seeing as everyone needed a release now and again; and your hand can only do so much. With the limited amount of people around, if you found someone you should probably hold on tight and never let go.

Your sleep addled mind came up with the one, only rational conclusion-

Loki and Steve were gay, cannibalistic lovers. 

You knew your brain was simply in overdrive; both from the lack of proper sustenance and sleep, but the panic over-rode your logical thought and you began to freak out.

“Get off of me!” You screamed, Steve lurching backward in surprise. Loki stepped back, also startled of that fact that you’d so suddenly switched from being slightly normal to completely batshit crazy again.

Steve reached to hold you down, but you thrashed around again.

“GET OFF OF ME YOU CANNIBALISTIC BUTT FUCKER!” You screamed, nearly taking his hand off when it got too close to your mouth, biting being your main defense in situations where your limbs were either restrained or exhausted. 

Both men stilled, completely taken aback by your harsh statement. 

“Wait, what?” Steve looked completely dumbfounded, having never heard such a slanderous term, especially directed towards him.

You froze, realizing in your panic you’d screamed the thoughts that had driven you toward your current state of hysteria. 

“I...uh…” You stammered, clearly at a loss for words. You couldn’t exactly explain that you believed they were butt buddies who enjoyed playing Hannibal Lecter at dinner-time. 

Loki only looked slightly puzzled - amusement far surpassing his confusion. 

“Cannibalistic butt fucker? That’s not something you hear every day.” He mused, his expression teasing. Your face felt like flames were engulfing your skin, and you knew for a fact the full facial blush was clearly visible. 

You shook your head quickly, mumbling a half-genuine apology. 

“Y/n, why did you say that?” Steve asked, giving you a look similar to that of a wounded puppy. Sure, he’d been called things, during fights, during training, during games; but never something that random and...creative?

“Listen, I just...I let my imagination get the best of me okay? I don’t think I want to have the conversation of whether or not you guys are lovers because that’s none of my business and I just don’t want you guys to put me into your stew, I want to live okay? Is that too much to ask?” You rambled on, the tears that seemed ever so present these days brimming in your eyes. 

Steve and Loki both sat back, not having a fucking clue as to how to deal with your hysterical outburst. Them? Lovers? The thought both disgusted and enraged the pair of them. The fact that you thought they were going to kill and eat you wasn't that great either, but one accusation far surpassed the other. 

“Alright, we’re gonna set something straight right now. Loki and I are not, nor will we ever be, gay lovers.” Steve grimaced, like saying the words “Loki”, and “lovers” in the same sentence put a sour taste in his mouth. Loki too looked pained as the words left Steve’s mouth, disgusted over the fact those words had to be uttered at all.

There was a silence that washed over the three of you after Steve spoke, the only thing breaking the silence was your heavy breathing as you tried to calm down.

While they may have just confirmed that they were not in fact gay lovers, they still hadn't confirmed whether or not you were on the menu.

“We’re not cannibals either.” Loki added quietly, clearly sensing your unease over the fact that they'd only addressed not being gay for eachother.

Your tense shoulders relaxed a fraction, allowing yourself to focus on regulating your hectic breathing. 

Steve and Loki were both watching you intently; both fascinated with the girl sitting in front of them, without being fully aware that they were thinking the same thing for once. You were intriguing to them, to say the least. You may have not of made the best of impressions, but it was one that stuck with them nonetheless.

“So, aside from the fact that you thought we were, quote, cannibalistic butt fuckers, what're your thoughts on joining us to form a trio?” Steve offered, his intentions pure. However, your dirty ass mind and recent panic over the fact that you thought they were lovers to begin with, took it in a completely different way. 

“I'm flattered, but if what you're aiming for is a three way, then the answer is no.” You replied, earning a snicker from Loki and an extremely red face from Steve. You felt yourself blushing alongside poor Steve, realizing he meant just team up for strictly survival purposes. 

Loki cleared his throat.

“Although I appreciate a good innuendo, I don’t think Captain Innocence over here intended for that to be the idea.” Loki offered, smirking at you. He reminded you of a serpent; probably the point of his very existence, but a serpent either way.

Steve, while glaring at Loki for the childish nickname, coughed, trying to cover up his embarrassment. He agreed that what you said were not his intentions, but as for Loki basically hinting that he was a virgin, (Which was false) he couldn’t help but be a little pissed at his survival “pal”.

“I uh...disregarding that original assumption...I do….I don’t know how long I’m gonna last on my own at this point.” You confessed quietly, still not allowing   
yourself to fully admit that you needed help...and just human comfort.

In all honesty it got pretty fucking lonely all by yourself; it was actually getting to the point that you could understand how a man could befriend a volley ball, something you'd once thought insane.

On the plus side, Steve and Loki could be quite beneficial to your survival. Steve has superb strength, and pairing that along with his everlasting endurance, makes him an excellent partner. Loki, on the other hand, is quite tactful, meaning that he can usually find a way to get out of any sticky situation. 

You could survive just fine on your own, that wasn't an issue, but if you joined them, you wouldn't have to. With their help, you might actually have a better chance against the other dangers that are constantly threatening your very existence. 

Well, it's just like they always say; If you can't beat ‘em, join ‘em.

An ally is always better than an enemy, right? 

“...So, do we have a deal?” Steve dragged you out of your internal monologue, and you were flustered as you had absolutely no fucking clue what he just said.

“I'm sorry, what?” 

“Oh for fucks sake, you gonna join us or what you sniveling quim?” Loki demanded, clearly having enough of your arrogance. 

You scowled at the derogatory name, but held out your hand nonetheless.

“Deal.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toris’s Note: Hey lovelies! We sincerely hope that you guys are enjoying this, since we're having so much fun writing it. Lemme just mention here that Knowledge deserves all the love because she has to deal with my shit and she's amazing <3 Also, I have not abandoned my other works, I am currently working on a Wanda chapter for WYAO and various chapters for SFOS. TOT will also be updated soon ;) Comments fuel us, and we love you all. Stay beautiful my lovelies <3
> 
> Knowledges note: Hiiiiii guyyyys. I love you all and as toris mentioned I hope you are all enjoying the story as it's coming along. We're having a blast writing this together. Just a heads up that I am going to be making some drastic changes to my writing style - but more to come in an actual update for that. Can we all take a moment to appreciate Toris as well for being awesome? Cuz she is. Indefinitely kissing each others asses right now. C;   
> Alright, enjoy and make sure to let us know what you all think of the story! We love you <3


	4. We Are the World

    The three of you fell into a regular routine. You were still clearly hesitant to completely trust them, but you put on a show, attempting to prove that they could trust _ you _ . It was something you'd always been good at - pretending to open up to people in order to earn their help and trust, but you always had trouble actually connecting and returning  _ true _ trust.

Steve had started taking you out with him when going on supply runs, leaving Loki to guard the camp. Loki could've come along with you as well, but he much preferred to be alone for those few hours that you and Steve were gone. It allowed him time to sort out his thoughts without having to worry about one of you two interrupting him. You, however, proved yourself to be extremely useful when scavenging, managing to find edible mushrooms and well hidden rabbit dens. With the limited resources due to the recent accumulation of smog and toxic gas clouds that had begun to float over the vast landscape and forest that was once basically untouched by this apocalypse, these were skills that were crucial to your survival. 

Unfortunately, even though the world had crumbled to chaos; it didn't mean your ovaries had magically stopped working. 

Despite Mother Nature being on the brink of death, she still apparently had the time and energy to come knocking on your uterine wall like a pesky door to door salesman. 

It hit you while you were squatting down to peer into a possible rabbit den, hoping to find some source of sustenance. It was a feeling of slight wetness, something that you'd usually just pass off as normal discharge, but then it began to dribble. Your eyes widened to the size of saucers as you felt a small gush from your lower region, one much too large to be just natural fluid, and the panic began to make your chest tighten. 

You had nothing. No pads, no tampons, no makeshift diapers, absolutely nothing. 

You'd felt the cramps earlier, but simply passed them off as a pulled muscle due to all of your travel. Your mental denial proved futile, however, as your body was very obviously trying to shed its uterine lining.

You realized you weren't hiding your panic very well, considering Steve had stopped what he was doing, watching you with a puzzled expression. 

You felt your face grow hot, knowing you needed to go find SOMETHING, but didn't exactly want Steve to question it. Having that “talk” with someone you'd met only recently wasn't exactly on the top of your list of favorite things to do. 

“I'm, uh, gonna look a little ways down from you, okay?” You nearly squeaked, gutturally clearing your throat in an attempt to pass off your embarrassed tone.

Steve noticed your sudden discomfort, and opened his mouth to ask you what was wrong; but you'd already wobbled away, running like a drunken turkey in heels.

Once you were a safe distance from Steve, you began frantically looking around, not even remotely sure what you were going to use. You could use leaves, but they weren't very absorbent. Moss would have too many bugs in it, and the last thing you need is a bunch of creepy crawlers in your cooch. Just the thought of it made you shudder in horror. Besides bugs, either option would've been too itchy and irritating anyways.

Why hadn't you stocked up on your way out the door when everything went to shit? You were intending to survive, and you'd hastily packed a god damn deodorant stick, but forgot the biggest need for a woman. You mentally cursed as you tried to steady your breathing, getting a bit too worked up over your stupidity. 

Socks.

You were wearing socks.

They were slightly smelly, but it was better than bugs crawling into your lady parts, wasn't it? You quickly pulled off your shoes, pulling off your fluffy socks; the ones you always used as slippers before the end of humanity. You left one sock in your pocket, thinking you could wash it and let it dry, so you'd be alternating them. You took the other, pulled down your pants, and placed it in your slightly bloodied underwear. 

Quickly pulling your pants back up - thanking your lucky stars they'd been black jeans so they wouldn't show much stain, you started to make your way back to Steve.

It was a little awkward adjusting to begin with, but you managed to get comfortable enough to walk straight. You forced a smile when you got close enough for Steve to make eye contact, nodding as you returned to sitting by the rabbit den. 

“I think this one's abandoned, there's no fresh pellets or tracks or anything. We should keep looking.” You speculated, standing again to keep trekking.

“Uh, wait Y/n, why did you leave a minute ago?” Steve asked, pinning you with a look that made you immediately feel guilty. 

“Just needed to pee!” You choked out, the lie seemingly attempting to strangle you on its way out of your mouth. You didn't want to lie, but it was so damn awkward. You were NOT about to let this red demon slow you down. Telling Steve meant Loki would know, and if both of them knew then they'd want to baby you and treat you like a vase, which was infuriating to you.

You weren't some princess that was to be pampered; no matter how tempting. You were going to carry your weight, and if that meant trudging through miles of blood-soaked socks, you could push through it. 

Steve clearly looked skeptical, but he knew better than to push you into telling the truth. Anytime you hid something it was usually for a good reason, whether it be your own protection or their benefit. Taking watch at night when you were exhausted so they could sleep, volunteering to refill the water bottles and pots so that you could take a shit without making a spectacle of it; that sort of thing.

You breathed a small sigh of relief, thankful that you managed to keep your bleeding nether regions a secret for now. What you're not thankful for is the cramps that begin to plague your lower abdomen and back, making you grit your teeth to suppress a groan of discomfort. You swallowed, taking a deep, steady breath before continuing along a well-worn hiking trail in search of rabbits, squirrels, or basically anything that could fill your empty bellies. After a few hours you and Steve had managed to collect a decent amount of berries that were safe to eat, one grouse, and plenty of mushrooms. 

You returned to the camp, and you immediately went to the shelter to lay down, as it was growing dark. You'd be up in a few hours anyway, as you could never sleep very well at night; especially during your cycle. 

Steve and Loki exchanged looks when you disappeared into the shelter you all called home; both a little confused as to why you were suddenly acting strange. 

Granted, you'd always been very closed off and never talked about yourself, but this was new, even for you. 

A few hours passed, and you woke up in a cold sweat, choking down a scream as your nightmare faded from your memory. You'd come to immediately erase any nightmares you had from your mind, a reflex you'd developed so you wouldn't dwell on the terrors you faced while unconscious. 

Nightmares aside, now that you're awake and alert, you have to deal with a whole new problem. The bloody sock that was clearly way past its absorbency limit. You could actually feel the slickness of it brush against your inner thighs every time you shifted, and you shuddered. To be frank, you were leaking through your jeans.

Loki was sitting watch outside, as Steve was passed out on his cot on the opposite side of the Fort, giving you as much space as possible. What a gentleman. 

You inhaled slowly, keeping calm. You knew if you even breathed too hard, Niagara Falls would no longer hold the record for the largest waterfall.

Mentally preparing yourself to face Loki outside the camp was proving to be challenging. That paranoia of him noticing any leak; despite your pants clearly being able to hide stains very well, it was all too present. 

But you had to do it, you couldn't just sit there soaking your lady parts in old blood. That was unsanitary, and just plain gross. Plus, you could smell a twinge of iron every few moments, making you feel ill. 

You stood up, and rubbed a hand across the bed sheet to check for damp spots; relaxing as there wasn't any recognizable sign of satan's sacrificial waterfall to be found. You took a few steps and managed to get out of the advanced tent fairly quickly, despite it being almost pitch black at this time of night. You made sure to walk with a normal gait rather than a wider one, which would've given away to your situation, and armed with your fluffy makeshift panty liner, nodded to Loki.

“Bathroom break?” He asked, smirking a little. His eyebrows rose up his forehead a bit, but you figured that it was just the way the shadows danced across his face. 

You nodded, swallowing the heavy lump in your throat before quickly heading out into the dark forest. Loki watched as you disappeared, wondering as to why you went so far into the forest just to go to the bathroom. He disregarded the wandering thought, shrugging as he stirred up the coals with a stick to keep the fire going.

You quickly took care of business, going to the river to wash the ill-used sock. The majority of the blood washed away with the current, but you could definitely tell that it would never return to its proper (f/c) shade. The fluffiness to it was also muted, all the fuzz pushed down into the fibers. It kinda made you sad, seeing as you quite enjoyed that pair, but you had to remind yourself that during circumstances like this (such as an accidental apocalypse) you had to make sacrifices. 

But still, you liked those socks. 

You wrung it out the best you could and shoved it into your pocket, saving it for later use. You unbuttoned your jeans and slipped them and your panties down past your thighs, and placed the otherwise clean sock into position. Your ass was cold and exposed, so you hiked up your pants and buttoned them in what you assume would be a record if the world still cared about that stuff. 

That'd be an interesting page in a “Ripley's Believe it Or Not” book. The thought made you smile internally as you cupped your hands and splashed some of the cool water on your face, wiping away the sweat and dirt that had begun to accumulate there. You didn't want to worry Loki by taking so long, considering that you said you were only going to the bathroom, so you figured that it was about time to start trekking back. When you returned to the camp Loki was poking at the fire again, more out of boredom than necessity. You offered to take over watch so Loki could get some sleep, and despite his protests about how he was a God and therefore didn't require such rest, he went to bed. Sometimes you think that he forgets that he's no longer the all powerful being that he once was, still getting used to living like a mortal. 

It was in the wee hours of the morning, meaning that you got to witness the sun rising above the tree line as you sat watch. The warm colors of red and orange hid behind the hills, barely cresting them as they'd only be there a little longer. The morning fog that picked up the evening dew made the dense forest around you look eerie, but the sounds of birds rousing from their sleep calmed you.

Your muscles felt stiff and they ached with every shift of your body, but you figured it was worth it since your stillness had caused your flow to slow down enough that you weren't concerned about your pants. Despite your current light flow, you still kept the other sock stuffed in your panties, the one that you'd cleaned in the river laying out on a rock to dry. The sock was bulky and hard to forget about, and you realized that you would literally kill a man if it meant you could have proper toiletries. Hopefully, on your next supply run you can sneak off from the guys and raid a feminine products aisle. 

As the birds chirped louder and the moon disappeared, your stomach began to growl. It was a low ache that didn't accompany your period cramps well, and you could swear that your stomach was trying to digest itself. You took stock of what was available to you and used your (size) cooking knowledge to whip up a basic breakfast for the three of you. It wasn't anything fancy, just a few edible berries that you'd warmed till it became a sweet paste, and a package of crackers to smear it on. It wasn't the best meal, but it was the best you could do considering the lack of meat.

Steve must've smelled the aroma of the berries, or just happened to have gotten enough rest (which you knew he didn't) because you could hear him shuffling out of the shelter and to a nearby tree, meaning that he was taking a piss. You smiled at him when he came up to you, carrying a split log that he fed to the fire. Which was a good thing;it's flames were beginning to falter. Steve looked at the boiled berries and the crackers you were smearing them on, and made a sound of approval despite the oddity of the concoction.

“We’ll have to head out for some meat later. Maybe if we go far enough we’ll manage to get some venison.” Steve proposed, his voice still slightly gruff from sleep. You nodded in agreement, not exactly up to talking right yet; it was simply too early. You smiled at him, though, because you had to admit, the possibility of having some warm meat was an exciting prospect. 

Steve picked up a few crackers for himself and headed over to the rocks, aiming to get some wood split now so you'd have plenty of it for later. You were still poking and prodding at the fire, warming up a few more berries every now and then when you'd run out of your botched jelly. You heard the sound of metal striking wood a little ways off, meaning that Steve was doing exactly what he planned on doing. The sound didn't last long, however, because for some reason it stopped. You turned to see him coming back, carrying something in his hand. You thought that maybe he'd somehow came upon a patch of edible vegetation that you'd missed earlier, but when he got closer, you realized that that was not the case.

He was carrying the sock.

You swallowed down the urge to run up and take the sock from him, getting rid of it and making a stupid excuse about how you thought it was poisonous or some shit. How you would ever come back from that, you don't know, but the temptation to dispose of the situation right then and there was strong. 

Instead, you sat still and acted like you didn't see him heading towards you, worry etched into his features. You attempted to calm your breathing down so that he wouldn't realize that you'd been hyperventilating. You put your utmost attention to the fire, distracting yourself from the fact that you were gonna have to have a very awkward conversation with Captain America in 3, 2, 1…

“(Y/N), what happened to your foot? Did you cut it on something? Why didn't you tell us about it? This isn't just a little bit of blood, this could be serious.” Steve looked and sounded genuinely concerned, and you quite literally writhed with the embarrassment. This wasn't something you could lie about. You couldn't just say you accidentally cut your foot or got bit by something, because that would mean Steve and Loki would force you to stay at the camp to rest; and that was something you weren't gonna allow. You needed to carry your weight, and if that meant you had to admit to shoving a sock in your panties rather than lying about an injured foot, then so be it.

“I could lie and say that I cut my foot on a shard of glass or something, but then you'd baby me so I'm not gonna do that.” You took a deep breath before you continued, glad that Steve hadn't decided to jump in before you could finish your statement.

“I'm on my period. My sock was the only thing that even  _ remotely  _ resembled a pad, so that's what I used. I cleaned it the best I could in the river earlier and I'd set it out on the rocks to dry. ” Steve looked a little dumbfounded, but didn't look judgmental whatsoever. You don't think it's the fact that you're on your period, you think it's because you  _ told him  _ about it. You're no history teacher, but you figure that women back in his day didn't outright tell people that they were even on their monthly. Hell, you were almost certain that they never even really discussed it among themselves. 

“So your other sock is…?” He looked down for a moment and then flicked his eyes back up to you.

“In my underwear right now, yes.” 

“Okay. Well, sorry? If you'd like I could head out and fetch you some erm, toiletries? Some chocolate? Maybe a new pair of socks?” Steve didn't seem awkward about the situation, he just honestly didn't seem to know what to do. But then again, men rarely know how to properly execute a “period plan” so to say.

“Be careful what you offer, Rogers. I just might hold you to that.” You kidded, but even you could admit that a bite of chocolate would be absolute heaven right now. Some tampons/pads would really come in handy, seeing as your flow usually lasted more than (#) days. Steve chuckled a bit at your teasing tone, seeing as he'd never really heard you be anything but serious. He rubbed his hands together and then slid them across the top of his jeans; a habit of his that you were becoming accustomed with.

“It's alright, I don't mind getting those things. We need a few more supplies anyways.” He excuses, even though you know exactly what you have stocked up. You’re lacking food wise, but have a decent supply of mostly everything else at the moment, but you'll give him an out this time and allow him to trek back to the city to get you some feminine products.

Well, saying he was trekking all the way to the city was a bit of a stretch; seeing as everything was nearly destroyed and whatever had survived was usually unsalvageable. There were however, a few cottages outside the city that didn’t have electricity, meaning they were mostly intact. They were once used as summer retreats for more wealthy families, which made them excellent raiding candidates seeing as those were usually stocked with basic necessities. 

You’d never been on one of those treks, seeing as it was a day’s hike away, and despite your protests, the boys usually wouldn't let you travel too much if one of them two could go.

Loki, not being one to miss out on an embarrassing moment, staggered out of the tent. He smirked as soon as he looked at you, which was all the evidence you needed to prove that he'd been eavesdropping on you and Steve. You expected him to say something smart, but instead he pleasantly surprised you by sitting down by the fire and smothering a cracker in berry paste before shoving it into his mouth. 

“I gotta say, I much prefer this spread compared to that horrid over-sugared jelly that was favored by so many of your people.” Loki decided, reaching over you to claim another cracker for himself. You took that as a compliment, seeing as Loki was used to being served grand feasts on the daily. You couldn't thank the stars enough for Loki leaving the whole ‘You're bleeding out of your lady parts and Steve found the gruesome evidence’  thing alone. You and Loki sat in silence as Steve chopped at the wood close by, making the morning feel almost domestic in a strange way.

  
Maybe being in a team wasn't so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Knowledge’s AN : Hiya guys, happy Monday! Hope you all enjoy this chapter, it’s always a blast writing with the lovely Toris; if only you knew the behind the scenes notes we’d put between paragraphs. So fun, so fun. Anyways, please let us know your thoughts on the chapters so far! We love hearing from you and it honestly makes us so thrilled to have any feedback. You’re all amazing, and we love you <3 Have a blast <3
> 
> Tori's AN- Hey lovelies! For those of you who are going back to school this week or already have, I wish you all the luck, and hope that you have a fantastic experience on your first day <3 Ditto on the behind the scenes notes <3 It's always a joy to write with Knowledge, never a boring moment :D Of course we both hope that you enjoyed this chapter, and if you did, leave a comment! It's always so exciting to see feedback on our story. We love you guys so much, and can't thank you enough for giving us a read! Love you all, stay beautiful my lovelies <3


	5. Break Down the Walls

It didn't take long for your period to go and away, and now that you were no longer hunched over in pain all the time, you could finally hang out with the guys out of your own choice rather than necessity.

Of course, when your belly is satisfied (the promise of fresh venison was kept, and you were absolutely floored) and the day is waning into night, boredom tends to ensue. And boredom usually means that people try to make conversation, which is best done by asking questions.

“Alright, we all seem to know each other's stories, but what about you, Y/N?” Steve asked, an encouraging smile plastered on his face. His eyes and posture showed that he was apprehensive, however, like he may have just crossed a line. Which he kinda did, considering you prefer to keep your past to yourself. 

“Yes, I agree I would like to figure out who Y/N truly is” Loki agreed, a Cheshire grin making his features look almost playful. You could feel the beginnings of a panic attack setting in, and you really wish you could come up with an excuse good enough to get out of the situation. You always knew in the back of your head that this was gonna come up at some point, but just kept on pushing the thought away and distracted yourself with something else. 

But now here you are, totally unprepared, and Steve and Loki are both staring at you, waiting for an answer. 

Well shit.

“Uh, hm, well…you know. Nothing special about me, just an average girl.” You nervously offered, thinking that maybe that'd be a good enough answer for them. What did they want? Your entire life story? There was absolutely no way they'd ever get to hear that, there's no reason to drag them into your shit. 

“What? Oh come on, you managed to survive the apocalypse! How in the hell could you just call yourself an ‘average’ girl?!” Steve argued, obviously displeased with your answer. You had to admit, sometimes you just really wanted to punch him in his perfect teeth.

“For once I do agree with the Captain, how did you walk out alive?” Loki added, and you knew there was no way in Hell you could avoid it….well, some of it anyways.

“Well… I’d just come home from work at the ring an-” you began, but Loki cut you off.

“The ring? A fighting ring?” He questioned and you nodded. 

“Boxing. Anyways, I was cleaning up a bit and then everything went black and began to blow up. My toaster, the light bulbs, my car went poof, everything just exploded. I managed to get into my dad’s bunker, which was completely non electrical so it was safe… Hid out there until I felt it was safe and came out to ash and fire.” 

You swallowed at the memory; the smell of burnt flesh had taken over the once crisp air, the heady smoke made you gag, but nothing compared to the charred bodies piled up along the once clean road.

“Then I just walked with the supplies I’d taken from the bunker and walked until… You guys I guess” you finished, leaving out majority of your travels. Especially the part of the little boy who had saved your life.

Loki raised an eyebrow, noting the look of withdrawal on your face. Steve was watching with a note of skepticism as well, knowing there was no way in hell that you’d managed to travel this far alone, seeing as there were other survivors with impure intentions; him and Loki had encountered one pair once, which ended poorly for the ones thinking they could take on a god and Captain Fricken America.

Steve knew better than to pry, as past attempts to crack open your hard shell proved to be more stressful and defensive than anything. Sooner or later though you’d open up; it was inevitable. 

“Well I’m personally glad you made it so far, seeing as you provide such good company and help around here” Steve offered, hoping to ease the tension with a compliment towards your skills and a warm smile. You managed a small smile in return; appreciative of his attempt. 

Loki, however, did not feel the need to express sympathy towards your apprehensiveness as much as Steve did. Instead he leaned forward, hands relaxed on his splayed knees, and looked directly into your (e/c) eyes. You instantly felt uncomfortable because of it and wanted to look away, but despite your urge to turn away from him you stared right back into his blazing green orbs, taking it as a challenge.

“Yes, it is quite impressive that you've come this far, but I believe that what Steven had asked of you was your story. So tell us (Y/N), what was your life like before?”

“Loki that isn't necess-” Steve objected, trying desperately to save you but failing.

“Oh but contraire dear Captain, it is. She already knows our stories, how we came to be who we are today. It's only fair if we knows her’s too” Loki concluded, officially fucking you over by putting you on the spot. 

“Well” you cleared your throat to keep your voice from cracking, drawing it out longer than needed. “Like I said, i'm a pretty average girl. I grew up with my mom and dad, was an only child.” You hoped that that would be enough information to quell Loki’s thirst for knowledge, but alas, he waved his hand and mouthed ‘get on with it’. You were finding it harder to hold eye contact with him as you began to construct the most elusive lie you've ever came up with.

“I've been doing ballet since I could walk, maybe since even before them. Most of my childhood I remember spending hours in Miss Rey's dancing studio, twirling in front of the mirrors until I was dizzy and my toes were bloody. I shouldn't of pushed myself that hard, but I just really wanted to impress my parents, and it paid off when I managed to get a part in a show on Broadway.” 

None of that was true, you couldn't dance even if your life depended on it, and you certainly never went on Broadway. You've watched the lion king there a couple of times, but never got close to even just grazing the edge of the famous stage with you fingertips. You certainly lied about growing up with both a mom and a dad. Your mom passed away after certain...unpleasant circumstances, leaving your father to raise you on his own.

“Anyways, I did a few shows there, mostly given parts that involved me dancing in the back of the scenes. Which was fine, I achieved my childhood goals and I was reigning in a nice paycheck every week because of them.”

“So if you were doing so well, then how did you end up in the fighting business?” Steve questioned, obviously finding a fault in your story. You were already so deep into this lie, that you might as well just keep digging your hole until it's big enough for you to crawl into and die.

“Yeah, about that. I was doing pretty well with the whole dancing thing, but that was before I fell down my apartment's stairs and broke my leg.” Which wasn't a total lie, you did break your leg falling down three flights of your apartment complex’s stairs, but it certainly didn't affect your nonexistent dancing skills.

“It really sucked, it took me months to recover, and I'd lost so much strength in my leg from not being able to move it that I couldn't even complete a simple plié.”

Steve looked fascinated as he listened to your life story, while Loki simply watched with a very obvious degree of skepticism. 

“So, you lost your ability to dance after a broken leg but could muster up the strength to end up fighting? Which I believe involves quite a bit of fancy footwork as well, does it not Steven?” Loki challenged, his eyes glinting with mischief as he attempted to foil your elaborate lie. 

You immediately stiffened, pinning a stone cold glare on Loki. 

“So you lost your ability to do magic after finding the human race you tried to enslave completely obliterated, but you could muster up the ability to still be a prick?” You countered, causing Steve to choke on the water he'd been drinking.

Loki had a dangerous look in his eyes, but you didn't care. They both knew you were hiding something now, just from your defensive attitude, but neither of the men in front of you could find the words to accuse nor assure you. How you found out about Loki- well it had been obvious to you. If he'd had his powers he'd be gone by now, or magically waved a god damn mansion in front of them as shelter. Steve, deciding to avert the sudden tension, ignored that statement, and answered Loki’s question about how one can go from ballet to fighting.

“It does, but I imagine it wouldn't put as much stress on the legs as ballet would. Boxing and most other forms of martial arts typically focus on the upper body, so I can see how it'd be easier for her.”

“Thanks, Steve.” You agreed, happy that Steve stuck up for you when Loki found a plot hole in your story. Then again, you were just coming up with this as you went, so you were bound to make a few mistakes here and there. Either way, you were being convincing enough that Steve felt the need to stick up for you when Loki questioned your fake life choices, so at least you were positive that you had one of them fooled.

Loki harrumphed and crossed his arms, not seeming pleased that the only other people around were disagreeing with him. 

You were staring at the fire, trying to ease the growing panic in your mind that Loki would confront you on your bullshit again. Fortunately, Steve offered for you to go to bed; as you looked tired apparently. You gave a grateful smile, soon disappearing into the shelter after saying a quick goodnight. You could hear the hushed whispers as soon as you were inside, but you shrugged it off before laying down, curling up in a ball on your side. You still continued to use that blanket you'd carried with you all the way from Dad’s bunker, some small comfort in a place with two people whom you hardly knew.

Eventually Steve came in to lay on his cot too, and you figured Loki was either patrolling the forest or keeping watch on the camp. 

You were running, breathing heavy as your legs frantically scrambled for grip up the hill. You were being pursued; someone who hated you but wanted you as a prisoner was after you, and you weren't about to go down without a fight. A hand lashes out from behind a tree, pushing you to the ground and closing around your throat. 

You screamed, struggling to get away.

“Y/n! Y/N!” A slightly familiar voice called, but you were too busy fighting for your life to answer the phone right now. 

There was a sharp stinging on your cheek and you found yourself shooting up in bed, cracking your skull against Steve’s. He seemed fine, but you burst into tears and hugged yourself, rocking back and forth as you tried forcing the nightmare from your mind. Before you'd woken you'd been face to face with your attacker, one of the men you'd been escaping when they'd taken the little boy. 

You weren't even really aware that Steve was now hugging you, but you WERE aware that he was rubbing your back, trying to soothe you. You madly wiped at your face, trying to clear some of the evidence of your blubbering.

You didn't pull away immediately like you normally would at any form of affection, instead you melted into Steve’s embrace, too tired of running from your emotions and nightmares to just brush off the comfort he offered. It made you feel weak, but you needed it, it was something that you couldn’t keep on brushing off. No matter how much you hated being babied, everyone needs positive human touch every so often.

You sniffled as quietly as you could, trying not to draw more attention to yourself, as you were already making yourself seem quite vulnerable. Steve seemed to understand, not passing any judgment towards you or your current condition. He just kept on rocking you back and forth, following your self-soothing motions to a tee. You’re not sure how long the two of you sat in the dark, but eventually the silence was broken.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” Steve asked, voice sounding sure but hushed, like he was concerned that he may be overstepping some kind of boundary. Which was ironic, considering that he was sitting in your cot holding you in the dark of the night. 

You couldn’t help the bitter laugh that escaped from you. You weren’t laughing at him, you were laughing at yourself for even considering accepting his offer, despite knowing you needed a therapist more than many people did. 

“I just want this to stop” You replied, trying to sound as sassy as possible. Unfortunately, Steve took that as “I want you to stop holding me”, which was FAR from what you’d intended. He was pulling away before you knew it...but to both of your surprise, you were clinging onto his shirt. 

You remained silent, not meeting his gaze, but you could almost feel his eyes on you; searching your face for any sign of discomfort or unease. You let out a small sigh, shaking your head and releasing your grip. 

“I’m sorry” you mumbled, moving to stand up. Steve quickly latched onto you, holding you down. 

“You don’t need to apologize, Y/n, you know you can talk to me if you need to, I’m here.” He offered again, this time you had no choice but to hold his gaze. The sigh that escaped you made you realize just how badly you needed to let the demons haunting you escape through vocal recognition. 

“I couldn't save him” You finally choked out, your fingers clutching onto the fabric of his shirt again. Steve looked confused, but listened patiently.

“I lied about being a dancer, my dad trained me to fight after my mom died when I was 7, survivalist ready for anything type, but he wasn't ready for cancer. I've been on my own since he died and that was six and a half years ago… Ran his boxing ring and kept the bunker just in case. After Tony destroyed the world I met this eleven year old little boy, but he saved me by…” You choked on your words, still not ready to say it out loud. 

“Those men would have ruined me more than I already am, and he knew that… He saved me Steve and I couldn't save him” you whispered after a moment's pause. 

Steve looked shocked at everything you'd spilled out, and you were verging on regret; however he quickly pulled you close once more, his thumb grazing your temple in a comforting way. The tight hug caused your face to heat up, but you couldn't deny that the contact, although foreign, felt nice.

You and Steve sat in silence, just holding on for dear life, until the sound of someone clearing their throat echoed from the entrance. You scrambled away from Steve, seeing Loki with that trademark smirk on his face. What you didn't expect was the tinge of envy in his gaze. You shrugged it off; Loki had been with you when you had that nightmare in the tree and he hadn't been nearly as kind and compassionate as Steve had, so he shouldn't be pissy about missing out on some cuddle comfort.

You returned yourself to your side of the beds, and Steve switched with Loki for keeping guard, knowing you needed the sleep much more than he did. 

You barely heard Loki grumble “I can hug too” before blacking out, no warning of your sleepiness shown until you were curled up on your own once more. 

The only difference was you were too numb to dream; and honestly far too relaxed as well. You needed this break.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toris’s A/N - Hey lovelies! We really hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter, and hope that you comment if you did! Seeing your guys’s feedback really brightens up my day, because I am a slut for comments. The plot is really starting to thicken, and I can't even explain how excited I am ;) As always, this chapter was so fun to write with the lovely Knowledge, love ya boo <3 Thanks for giving us a read! Love you guys, and as always, stay beautiful my lovelies <3
> 
> Knowledge's A/N - Howdy Folks, hope your Labour Day weekend is full of family fun! If not, hopefully you at least enjoy this chapter update! Please as always let us know your thoughts on this chapter, as mentioned above we truly love it when we're able to reply to you all. The next chapter is going to begin quite a stir of trouble, so hold onto your kids, seats! Love you guys, and have a blast! <3


	6. Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go

Steve had no choice that night but to snuff out the fire pit for the first time since settling down. During his watch, those patrolling suits of Tony’s that went rogue after the detonation of the world, flew right over their camp. He’d heard them coming in time to put out the fire and hide the smoke with leaves and such as they flew over, granting him time to duck into the shadows. 

He had wanted nothing more than to leap out and attack those wretched mechanical beasts, as they’d been the reason his best friend was dead. 

The scariest part of it all was that it seemed that they might be able to track somehow, seeing as the occurrences where they flew over were becoming more and more relevant. He didn't want to think about the possibility that they were being watched, but it was always better to be suspicious rather than not. They were already against the forces of nature; the last thing they need is to be spotted by rogue robots.

It wasn't that Tony had meant for the robots to be so evil minded, matter of fact, before all of this they were programmed to be rather helpful. They would use life source scanners to detect those trapped in rubble or fires, they would protect nearby humans from external dangers, and even had the proper equipment stored for live saving procedures. However, when all electronics went down, instead of blowing up, their programming malfunctioned, making them see all humans as a threat. 

Who knew that something that was once meant for the good of mankind could also destroy it? 

Steve certainly didn't, that's for sure. But then again he hasn't trusted any form of technology since Howard Stark’s “flying car” turned out a bust. It's amazing how in a lot of ways the world has changed, but still remains so undeveloped. All of the best inventors swore up and down that we'd all be living in space by now, that cars would fly, that robots would be serving every need and whim that we could possibly ask of them. None of this has happened, but then there's such fantastic inventions that no one would had ever thought of in his time. The apple products, AI, HD television, and so much more. Sometimes the new possibilities overwhelmed him, and he hated himself for even thinking it, but it was somewhat a relief that all technology had gone kaput.

He sighed as he watched the vast darkness of the night before him, only the sounds of leaves rustling meeting his ears. It was that time of night when even the most nocturnal of animals were snuggling into their nests, curling around themselves and their young to keep out the chill. It was getting colder out, the autumn season peeking through the summer heat, and the leaves turning brilliant colors as the chlorophyll leached out of them. No matter how beautiful it may be, it's more than just a mild concern in the northern states; especially here in New York. The fact that you guys needed to find proper shelter within the next month was something that was constantly negging at Steve’s mind.

Not only did you guys need somewhere with roof, you also were gonna need some kind of store of food for the upcoming winter months. Getting food now was such a grueling task as it was, but Steve couldn't even imagine how scarce the chances of having a full belly would be the next upcoming months. 

He leaned over and pressed his hands to his face, holding back a sob as he let himself realize how fucked his life was. Once again he was being relied on, with no one but himself to turn to. He was having to constantly look over his shoulder, always having to be in high alert. He knows he isn't being thrown into the woes of war, but it sure as hell feels like it. Except now he has no one to turn to for support, no one to call him a punk when he says he feels worthless. No one named Bucky. 

He cried as he watched the sun come up.

You woke up slowly this time, for once not startling out of a nightmare. After your cuddle session with Steve last night, you managed to sleep a whole night, rather than sleeping an hour or two. You were mildly embarrassed by how long you'd slept, but disregarded it. You haven't gotten a proper night's sleep in years, and with all the stress you've put putting on yourself, you needed it. 

The night before made you feel vulnerable, weak even, and you hope that Steve wouldn't treat you like a vase now that you've opened yourself up to him. You held onto this fear as you shimmied out of your grimy clothes underneath your sleeping bag, happy to slip on a clean pair of underwear after not being able to change them for a few days. Due to staying at various summer camps as a child, you'd learned how to change in front of people without giving them a peep show. Who knew that something you'd once done out of shyness would turn out to be a helpful life skill?

Once you'd successfully managed to slip on a clean set of clothes without being noticed by Loki, who appeared to be sleeping, you squirmed out from under your cover and swung your legs over your cot. Your shoes we being a pain to get on, the laces refusing to stay where you tied them. They'd need a good scrub soon, or to be replaced altogether; whichever opportunity comes first. A new set of everything would actually be nice, seeing as it was starting to colder, and all you had was a t-shirt and a pair of thin-worn jeans. The fact that it was indeed getting colder struck fear into you, not knowing what to expect in the near future. It already got cold at night as it was, and the fire could only provide so much warmth when you managed to light one. But in the winter? You sure as hell couldn't light a fire in the snow, at least not one large enough to provide sufficient heat for all three of you. The cloth of your little fort wouldn't suffice as a good shelter anymore, as the snow would cave in the pliant tarp that served as your roof.

These thoughts frightened you, considering that you didn't even have an extra pair of socks, let alone proper winter attire. Shaking your head from these thoughts, you slicked your (h/l) (h/c) hair out of your face and fastened it with a clip. 

When you stumbled your way out of the tent, you were surprised to find Steve not attending to the low-burning fire. Apparently not aware that the flames were beginning to dwindle with every moment that passed. 

You got up, careful not to wake up Loki as you stepped outside. He grumbled a little as you stepped over him, but he remained asleep. You breathed a small sigh of relief, knowing you'd never hear the end of it if he were to be so rudely awoken due to you. 

You stretched once outside, quickly hugging your arms to your chest as the cold nip in the air washed over you. It wasn't unbearable, but you knew that once the weather got cold the little hut you three called home wouldn't be warm enough at all. It had been early September when this all began, and with fall in full gear after the couple of weeks surviving, you knew you had no preparations for the cold season.

Your thoughts were interrupted when you spotted Steve leaning heavily against a tree, staring blankly at the horizon. You frowned, moving over to him cautiously. 

“Steve? You okay buddy?” You asked, but Steve's blank look didn't falter, he simply let out a grunt that he was aware of your presence. 

You crouched by Steve, trying to maneuver yourself so he was forced to look you in the eyes.

He didn't reply, only looking away quickly. His quick avoidance of eye contact didn't spare you from seeing his bloodshot eyes, and you could immediately tell the redness wasn't from lack of sleep. 

Thinking quickly, you took his hand, trying to drag him to his feet.

“Alright cap, time to haul ass you need food and sleep.” You commanded, struggling, despite your own impressive-ish strength, to pull him up. He was an insane mass of muscle to lift, so it was only natural for you to lose your balance and fall forward, straight onto his lap.

You landed with quite a bit of force, snapping Steve from his thoughts, and replacing them with a bout of pain...as your knee had come down directly into his groin.

You scrambled off of him, apologizing profusely, but he was doubled over and breathing heavy, making you feel awful. You didn't really know how to deal with an...injury of this sort, so you sat beside him and rubbed Steve's back, continuing to apologize for being an idiotic klutz. 

Eventually, Steve recovered, but he was still hesitant to move.

You both made eye contact, then burst out laughing. 

Despite him probably no longer able to produce kids, Steve honestly needed something this mundane and normal to get his mind off of everything...even though it was him being the one injured, you had helped him without even realizing it. 

Steve finally stood up, helping you to your own feet in the process. Your face was red from lack of breath, seeing as you’d been laughing quite hard. You were about to say something until you noticed the fire was out.

Steve followed your gaze and was immediately brought back to the events of that night. 

“Bots flew over last night...had no choice but to put it out.” He replied, his voice serious and deadly quiet. You couldn’t help but reach out and squeeze his arm reassuringly. 

“You did the right thing, it’s not like we can’t light it again.” You replied with a smile. Steve looked down where your hand was, and you immediately retracted it, planting it firmly in your pocket. 

“Honestly, we need to find a cabin or something, like the one we got supplies from last time. It’ll be risky seein’ as other survivors will want to be there for the winter too, but it’ll be safer than this” He said, gesturing to the camp they’d made.

You nodded in agreement, about to reply, when you heard the clearly annoyed voice of Loki from the shelter’s direction.

“You know, if I’d ordered an alarm clock I would have asked an eagle to come tear out my corneas instead of this gossip that’s polluting the entire forest with noise” He sneered, pointedly glaring at Steve. You rolled your eyes, trying not to stare at him. True, it was a habit for men to sleep without shirts on, but didn’t he have the decency to put his shirt on _before_ leaving the shelter? Besides, wasn’t he fucking cold? 

“I mean I’m sure an eagle wouldn’t pass up that opportunity if you asked now” You offered, crossing your arms over your chest. Steve let out a chuckle, but was cut off by the sound of what sounded like a half-muted jet.

Your eyes all widened at the same time, as you ran for the trees, taking cover in the bushes. All three of you huddled together as you watched the scene unfold before you; which was three of Tony’s rogue suits landing at the same time in the middle of your camp.

You wanted to run forward and chase them off, but knew it would be suicide and you’d be blown to bits. That impending thought wouldn’t leave your mind, so you were grateful for the fact that Loki was holding you back, almost like he knew you’d do something fucking stupid like charge the mechanical monsters.

You sat back helplessly as the suits scavenged your small but homey campsite, tipping over pots and tearing down your shelter. If robots got amusement from destruction, you were sure they’d be laughing at how they clearly abolished someone’s home. One of the suits was watching the trees for movement, and you swore it’s direction of sight landed on the bush you three hid behind. You tensed up, but Loki didn’t let go of you; if anything his hands snaked _tighter_ around your waist to keep you in place. When it seemingly found no form of human life, the three departed, leaving your camp in ruins and spirits low.

The three of you waited for 2 hours, making absolutely sure the suits weren’t just waiting to ambush you. When you finally emerged, you were the first to start sifting through all of the rubble, picking up clothing, blankets, and any salvageable food that would be useful, which of course was none. 

You looked up, seeing an absolutely furious Loki standing at the foot of the upturned shelter. 

“You two….you... _BLOODY IMBECILES_!” He roared, turning and shooting both you and Steve ferocious looks. He was completely different from when he was patiently waiting in the bush, which might you add he hadn’t let go of you once during that ordeal. “You jinxed us! Your foolish talking about needing to move camp is what almost got us killed!” 

You were frozen, dead silent, and so was Steve. Normally, if Loki was angry he’d just storm off or retort with sarcasm, maybe lay a prank or two to get revenge, but you’d never seen him this downright pissed. He was red in the face.

As he continued to freak out, you’d finally had enough.

“Listen here you little shit!” You stepped forward, clenching your fist as if ready for things to get physical. “Just because your self-entitled ass believes in that mumbo jumbo knock on wood karma thing doesn’t mean it’s real! And blaming us and being upset is only going to trigger a fucking ulcer!” You yelled, now up in his pompous princely face. 

Loki looked shocked, but he was still too mad to back down.

“If that’s not real, why did this happen then, hmm?” He asked, and you snorted.

“Dumb luck you idiot. Clearly, they saw smoke when Steve put out the fire as they flew overhead and decided to investigate during the day. For the god of mischief and cleverness, I’d have thought you would be smarter than that.” You spat, the fire in your eyes recognizable. Loki raised his hand, almost ready to slap you, but you beat him to the punch - literally. 

You socked him right in the jaw, your boxing reflexes coming in all too handy. He stumbled back, clearly shocked at the turn of events, and you stood, ready in a stance for him to retaliate. Instead, however, he started to laugh. 

“Not bad” He said, still holding his palm to his jaw. You frowned, still not lowering your stance in case it was a trick. 

Loki, however, didn’t move at all, simply grinning with amusement as he looked down at you.

You finally sighed, thrusting a t-shirt at him, as he was still not fully clothed, and turned, storming over to Steve.

“What condition was that cabin in, when you got that supplies?” You asked, changing the subject despite you still fuming.

“It was honestly pretty bad, the windows were all broken, and there were leaks everywhere, plus the entire thing smelled like something died. I didn’t check two of the rooms,  so there could be something in there.” He replied, scratching the back of his head. 

“Okay, so that’s about a day’s travel and a few days cleanup then. Let’s start walking.” You decided, not even asking if they were cool with it, which you knew was probably obnoxious, but you didn’t care. Steve seemed to agree with you on most things, and Loki didn’t care about either of your opinions. He could go off on his own for all you cared.

You shouldered your backpack, which thankfully wasn’t too torn up, and tied your sweater around your waist, storming off in the direction of the cabin. 

You were unaware of the confused looks that Steve and Loki exchanged before they quickly scrambled after you, Steve carrying a bag with blankets and a few small leftover granola bars, Loki clinging onto a backpack of empty water bottles to fill. 

The journey to your new home had begun, but you weren’t exactly happy about it. The fact that you’d been forced out of your home against your free will was making you angrier and angrier. You stomped ahead of Steve and Loki, who trailed behind and thought it best to let you cool off.

Probably a smart decision because you knew if even Steve tried to talk to you, your temper would most likely get the best of you and you’d snap at him. Which wouldn’t be fair as he’d done absolutely nothing wrong. You sighed, your shoulders slumping as you walked. You somewhat wished you were on your own again, despite the comfort of knowing someone was there at all times, you missed your introvert lifestyle and independent tendencies. 

This was going to be a long hike, and honestly? Awkward as hell due to your previous actions.

Steve, you weren’t too worried about talking to.

Loki however...well, you _had_  punched him in the face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toris's AN- Hey guys! Wow, on our sixth chapter already! I think this is the fastest any of my stories have ever developed! Then again, it really helps to have someone who'll fill in the blanks when you get a brain fart xD We really hope that you guys enjoyed this chapter! Thank you so much for your kudos and feedback, it really means a lot to us <3 What do you think will happen next? Will Loki ever stop being a pompous dick? Stay tuned for the next chapter of Alone Together! We love you guys so much, seriously. Love you guys! And as always, Stay beautiful my lovelies <3
> 
> Knowledge’s AN - Hi guys! Happy Monday! Hope you enjoy this chapter, and thank you so much for all the kudos and feedback on the last one! We’re thrilled to see you’re liking the character development, and it’s so much fun to write for you all! Any predictions on what you think might happen in the future? Any thoughts on what has happened so far? Let us know, we love hearing from you! <3 Thanks so much for reading, we love you!


	7. Home Sweet Home

“Well…it has a roof” you observed aloud. As soon as you'd stepped into the summer home, you could tell that it was gonna need a shit ton of work done on it. Water dripped from what you assume was once a pristine ceiling, various trash littered the floor, and by the smell of it, there was a squirrel living there. A piece of sagging drywall finally caved in from the weight of itself, and suddenly the ceiling was a little less complete.

 

“...Barely” Loki scoffed, clearly indignant about having to live in such horrid conditions.

 

Steve, having heightened senses, nearly looked sick from the smells wafting from the rooms. He swallowed down what possibly could of been vomit, before taking a deep breath and heading further into the home. You poked your head back outside and took a deep breath of air before following behind him, ready to brave whatever this house had in store for you.

 

The rest of the house was just as bad, save for the mudroom, which had a reinforced makeup that made it nearly indestructible. Too bad that it was too small to be made into an actual room, instead maybe you could use it as a pantry of sorts. You sighed, not particularly excited about the work that lie ahead.

 

Slamming a bucket of cleaning supplies down beside the boys, and snapping on a pair of rubber gloves, you take a stance.

 

“Let's do this.”

 

* * *

 

 

After many hours of scrubbing, sweeping, re-tiling, and nearly everything else, you finally allow yourselves a break. Well, Loki had already taken about 20 breaks, but you weren't counting him.

 

“Fuck, anymore of this and I'm pretty sure my hands are gonna fall off” you admitted, only a little ashamed that you were admitting just how sore you were. Steve nodded his head in agreement, arm reaching back over his shoulder to rub at his neck. You honestly would have offered to rub at it a bit, seeing as he had do quite a bit of heavy lifting- even for a super soldier, but you yourself were too sore to even attempt to rub at the kinks in your own muscles.

 

“This place still reeks of death” Loki commented, stretching out his lithe body across the couch you guys had dragged in earlier. You snorted, turning to look at Loki skeptically.

 

“Then why don't you go and scrub at it some more, Loki” you spat. You know your voice is dripping with contempt, but you honestly don't care, seeing as how the most Loki had done today was scrub out the bathroom. Which may be an accomplishment during any other time, but it's more of a sin considering how much you and Steve had managed to get done.

 

“And make the place smell even more like that horrid bleach that you're so fond of? No thank you.” Loki retorted, and your guessing that that statement was the final straw on the camel’s back; and in this case, Steve was one pissed camel.

 

“That's enough Loki.” Steve growled, glaring at Loki with such venom that you wanted to curl into yourself and hide. You knew his expression wasn't even directed towards you, but it still made you feel uneasy.

 

“Mm no, I'd have to say otherwise. I think there's still quite a lot of work to be done, it's not nearly enough.” He retaliated, smirking all the way through his audacious statement. Steve, despite being sore as all hell, stood and clenched his fists; as if they would throw punches of their own accord if Steve didn't contain them. In short, Steve was looking geared up for a fight.

 

Uh oh...

 

“You need to check your goddamn privilege. This isn't Asgard, this isn't some place where you can sit on your ass and not lift a finger. HELP US CLEAN THIS SHIT OR FIND SOMEWHERE TO BE ON YOUR OWN, BECAUSE AS OF RIGHT NOW, IF YOU DON’T START PULLING YOUR WEIGHT I'M GOING TO PHYSICALLY KICK YOU THE HELL OUT.” Steve bellowed as he stepped toward Loki, and you flinched when he put emphasis on the end of each pause, so five times in all.

 

Loki looked absolutely speechless, not sure what to do. It wasn't often that the two truly fought, as most other times it was over something pathetically minor; like that chocolate bar that just “disappeared” as Loki put it (he had eaten it). Eventually the tension was too much for you to bear anymore and you quietly made your way out of the cabin. You knew it was probably a bad idea to leave those two alone right now, but you hated tension and emotional conflict amongst other people; seeing as how it so critically impaired your thoughts due to your empathetic nature. So you typically tried to avoid it at all costs. It took a few minutes for them to realize that you'd wandered off, as they were locked in their own little bubble of anger and woe. You ignored their distant voices imploring you to stop; Steve telling you to wait, and Loki calling out your name.

 

You had walked for about ten minutes before you heard footsteps thundering after you, and you turned to see Loki and Steve both running side by side to catch up.

 

You stopped walking, sighing as you began toward them. You could see the guilt in both of their eyes as you grew closer.

 

Once they'd caught up, you forced a smile.

 

“Made up already?” You teased, and their looks of concern faltered to expressed grumpiness, the two stubborn men exchanging harsh glares between one another.

 

“For now. Y/n we have no idea what the area is like here, we gotta stick together” Steve told you, his gaze pleading. You couldn't help but snort.

 

“Sticking together seems to be causing a shit ton of conflict, from what I've noticed.” You argued, trying to keep your deeper emotions from showing by masking them with anger.

 

Loki smirked, nodding in agreement, but his cocky expression faltered when Steve shot him a glare.

 

“This cabin will work out once it’s fixed up, I'm sure. There's storage with canned food and whatever in the crawlspace, there’s a fireplace, and there’s two bedrooms and a living room so we’re going to be able to space out. I think that’s what the biggest issue has been - we need our space.”

 

You were the first to nod, agreeing vehemently that that would be a wonderful change. A room all to yourself? Hell, an actual BED all to yourself? Such simple desires seem like far away dreams to you when you're in a situation such as this. For once you'll be able to sleep without being worried about anyone just waltzing into your home, seeing as this one actually has a door. You can finally change without worrying about showing too much skin! You'll actually be able to change above the covers! Just the thoughts of all these wonderful things made you feel blissed out.

 

“That would be worth every moment spent within tight quarters with you two.” Loki smiled. While he sounded rude and sarcastic, you knew that he was just as excited for this opportunity as you and Steve were.

 

You still weren’t making any movements to head back to the cabin, as though your feet were still convinced there was going to be conflict as soon as you returned, but you took a deep breath, compelling enough strength to start walking back.

 

Both of the guys were stuck, watching as you walked away mid conversation. Exchanging looks of “god she’s weird” before scampering along after you.

 

Once you were back at the cabin, you felt a whole new burst of energy, so you leapt into cleaning up the last remaining parts of the once disgusting cabin, wanting to make it liveable at least for the night.

 

The remaining bedrooms in the cabin were still a disaster, so those were going to be sanctioned off until the morning when you had the rest you needed, and your energy had been replenished.

 

The three of you settled down in the livingroom, Steve offering for you to have the pullout couch. You politely declined, saying you’d just take the loveseat since you were shorter than both of them. They went rock paper scissors, and Loki won the pullout.

 

You helped Steve by putting a bunch of pillows and piling the couch cushions to make a sort of bed on the floor. You gave him a sympathetic look as Loki gloated from the futon, clearly proud of his superior rock paper scissors skills.

 

Steve assured you that he was perfectly fine with the sleeping arrangements, claiming that this felt like five-star accommodations compared to the cool, hard ground that he'd gotten so used to. You left it at that, knowing that if he put his mind to something, you'd never win; even though you had doubts that the floor was as comfy as he'd described. Your knees nearly buckled when the backs of them met the cushions of the loveseat, the rest of your body following suit as you could finally allow yourself to properly rest. You closed your eyes and shifted your body until you found a comfy enough position, passing out almost immediately. Your sleep addled brain managed to block out the sounds of Loki’s snores and the low rumbles of thunder as a storm rolled in. It was a silent agreement that you all hoped that the rain would clear up by tomorrow, but had doubts that nature would give you a break for once.

 

Maybe a little rain would be good and help clear out the smell of distant death, as depressing as that sounded.

 

* * *

 

You shot up in a cold sweat, probably only a few hours after passing out. Steve and Loki were both audibly sleeping, but your heavy, fractured breathing would surely wake them up if you didn’t go outside and get some air.

 

You quietly untangled yourself from your blankets, tip-toeing out of the cabin and slipping out the door. You didn’t wander off, you simply sat on the front step and stared up at the gloomy sky, taking deep breaths and forcing yourself to be a little calmer. You didn’t even remember your nightmare at this time, you were just focused on your breathing techniques that you’d been taught all those years ago when your dad put you in therapy.

 

Eventually you were calmed enough to head back in and get more rest, the pitter patter of rain managing to lull you back to a much more tranquil state. You quietly went back inside and climbed onto the loveseat, curling up in a ball and tucking yourself in simultaneously. You eventually fell asleep, a sleep so deep that your mind was free from any type of dreams.

 

Everything was peaceful.

 

Until the next morning when you were startled awake by someone yelling.

 

Loki.

  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toris’s AN- Hey lovelies! We hope that you enjoyed this chapter! We certainly enjoyed writing it :) Knowledge and I both had a pretty stressful week, so we apologize if you feel that this chapter was sub-par. I am working on a Wanda chapter for WYAO! Also, TOT shall be updated quite soon ;) SFOS chapters will be coming shortly hehe. Please let us know what you thought about this chapter! Or hell, just tell us what you had for lunch today. We love comments/kudos/any feedback from you guys! It really makes our day to see so many enjoying our work :D Love you guys! And as always- Stay beautiful my lovelies <3
> 
> Knowledge's AN - Hey guys! Firstly we're very sorry for the late chapter AND the fact that it wasn't very long or in depth this run. As Toris mentioned we both had a pretty shitty week. Should lighten up now though hopefully since things have kind of returned to a better place. We love you so much and thank you for your support and feedback, you're all amazing. LEt us know what you thought of this chapter! :) <3 Take care everyone!


	8. When Doves Cry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Spiders. That is all.

Loki’s shrieking wails put you on edge before you were even fully awake. To be woken up from a deep sleep by such an auditory intrusion made your mind and body switch from groggy to alert. The fight or flight response was one hell of an alarm. 

You weren’t even sure whether or not it was a wise decision to open your eyes, but as you focused on the many sounds assaulting your ears, you were able to make out an entirely different type of howling.

Steve’s hysterical chuckles. 

You opened your eyes and looked over, surprised at seeing Steve doubled over while laughing his star spangled ass off. Loki was in total distress, tugging at his clothes and letting out the most girliest screams you had ever heard. He pulled off his shirt, nearly tearing the fabric with his haste, and when he was about to shed his pants (your only thoughts at this moment being ‘dear god please be wearing underwear’) Steve all but lunged at him, stopping Loki from undressing any further.

You couldn't stop the snicker that sneaked its way out of your mouth, and who could blame you? It wasn’t every day that you saw a grown ass man putting on such a dramatic display for something as preposterous as-

“Loki! Calm down it’s just spiders!” Steve chastised loudly, trying to snap Loki out of his panic. Despite trying to use an assertive tone, his words were choppy as he forced them in between his laughter.

“Just spiders! JUST SPIDERS, THESE WRETCHED BEASTS ARE ALL OVER ME!” Loki seethed. The tiny, furry ‘beasts’ that had Loki in such a fit were frantically crawling all around his body, seemingly having no goal as to where they wanted to rest. 

When you first looked at the situation you figured that their magnitude was simply from your lack of sleep, but now that you’ve gotten a proper look, there appeared to be literally hundreds of them. Some crawling directly out of the futon cushions and onto the floor, scurrying away to other parts of the house, some of them settling into trying out their web spinning skills, but most were determined to see how much of Loki’s body they could span before being smacked off by a large, pale hand.

Loki shot you a pleading and distressed look, seeing as since Steve was too busy laughing at his situation, you were his only salvation at this point. You took pity on the man, knowing that you'd never hear him willingly beg for help in your lifetime. You shook your head and stalked forward, ignoring your own distaste for spiders as you took his hand and lead him- shirtless might you add - out the front door, heading into the forest toward the small river. 

Quite a few of the little buggers transferred from him to you on the short journey towards the water, and it took everything you had not to freak out like Loki was doing previously. 

Loki looked ready to burst from holding in the urge to slap at every inch of his body as possible, but luckily you made it to the river before he could unintentionally harm himself. When he started wading into the water, going as slow as possible so he could adjust to the water’s cool temperature, you took charge, and dunked his whole body in at once. He instantly shot back up, water dripping from his raven locks, and gave you the most malice-filled glare that you’d ever received from a person.

“Are you fucking kidding me?! You sniveling quim, you absolute pig headed-” you slapped him, stopping him from going any farther in his tangent.

“I'm gonna stop you right there, twinkle toes. For one, we’re on earth, if you're gonna call me something offensive, make it good.” Loki opened his mouth to object, offended that you'd called his name calling sub-par. You lifted up your hand to silence him, and continued.

“For two, I dunked your pretty little head under water because if you would've kept going that slow, then all of the spiders would've crawled up to your face to avoid drowning. Since I completely submerged you at once, they all got pushed off by the current. Now you can keep on whining like a six-year-old or you can thank me by going back to the cabin and making us all breakfast.” You left that as your final statement, feeling particularly sassy. It felt good though, to be completely in charge instead of overly vulnerable. It probably helped that Loki looked like a drowned rat that just ate something bitter, if his face was anything to go by.

Loki looked absolutely scandalized, not to mention wet, but he acquiesced, wading his way back up to the bank and storming towards the cabin. He mumbled something about how “he knew that” as he trudged his way back, but you decided to ignore his bitching.

Instead, you stayed by the river a moment, taking the chance to splash some cool water onto you face before following behind him. You wrapped your arms around yourself as you walked, the morning chill sinking into your skin despite the 3 layers of clothing that you were wearing. You could feel autumn in the air, in your bones, the crispness of it felt as it blew through the rusty colored leaves. Quite a few leaves had changed color, except for the evergreens of course, but very few have fallen. With the weather getting noticeably cooler every day, you doubt that they'll stay on their branches much longer. As soon as you thought that a yellow leaf floated down to the ground in front of you, as if nature felt like it had to prove that it was truly the harvest season.

Before you knew it, you were scooping up that pretty little leaf and sticking it in your jacket pocket (which you'd acquired from one of the cabins closets) and heading back to the house that you called home.

It took you longer than you'd expected to get back, seeing as you weren't really keeping track of the time when you were dragging a squeamish Loki out here by his wrist. But you'd made it back to the stoop, and were very pleased to smell the scent of food wafting from the living area. Loki had kept his unsaid promise, and was busying himself over the crackling fireplace with a cast iron skillet. It truly was a nice touch that this home’s architects really went all out, seeing as a fireplace and chimney was both aesthetically stylish and practical. You were slightly concerned about the soot that could accumulate as you guys used it, but decided to cross that bridge when you came to it.

Steve was off in some other room making quite of a ruckus, so you figured that he must be putting some new drywall in one of the bedrooms. Probably so he wouldn't have to endure seeing Loki practically naked ever again. Or maybe it was because Steve was just being good old Steve and wanted to make this place as nice as possible, but you heavily believe that his reasoning stems from the former rather than the latter.

“So, uh, Loki. What kind of cologne you been using?” You asked out of the blue. Loki's head snapped up, nearly smacking it against the top of the fireplace, but caught himself right as he grazed it. 

“Excuse me?” 

“Well,” you snorted. “I figure that you should find a new one, seeing as that one in particular drives spiders wild.” You winked, knowing full well that you were confusing the ever loving hell out of him. 

“It wasn't my cologne you-” he caught himself, having remembered your previous statement regarding insults, and took a breath before continuing. 

“A mother must have laid the wretched bastards in the cushions of the futon, otherwise I can't fathom any other reason as to how that-” he waves to the couch.”-happened.”

Never being one to waste an opportunity, you took it.

“Well, when a mommy and a daddy spider really love each other, they hug extra hard-”

“Are you fucking kidding me.” Loki dead panned. You lost it then, having to cover your mouth to keep your laughs at a decent volume. 

“What're you guys talking about?” Steve asked. He sauntered into the room, absolutely covered with dust. You swiped your hand through his hair to help get the dust out, but all it ended up doing was to push it even further into the once-blonde locks. Deeming Steve’s hair a lost cause, you instead focused on the question he’d previously asked. 

“Oh nothing much, just explaining the facts of life to Loki is all.” You explained, voice totally serious. The look on Steve's face, however, was making it really hard to keep a straight face.

“The facts of life? Are you giving him-”

“The birds and the bees talk? Why yes, Steven, she is.” Loki rolled his eyes and sunk further into the couch; not wanting to go near the futon for obvious reasons.

“Well I'm sorry Loki, but you seemed pretty confused as to how baby spiders were made.” You snarked playfully. Loki glowered, and Steve laughed.

It was oddly domestic, and you couldn't help but to smile. 

  
Even in this shit hole of a planet, you'd managed to find your place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Toris's AN- Sorry for taking forever, loves! Life has been hitting both Knowledge and I pretty fucking hard. For me it's mostly been that my depression has been quite severe these past few months, and it's pretty hard to write when you hate absolutely anything and everything that you create. I'm well at the moment, and have finally picked myself into high gear, so hopefully my muse will come back to me :) Love you all so much! You guys mean the world to us, and your comments always manage to brighten our days <3 Stay beautiful my lovelies!
> 
> Knowledge’s AN : Hey guys! Sorry for the absence of activity the past couple weeks, Toris and I have both been dealing with quite a few ups and downs. New jobs, old jobs, bad times good times the whole shabang. You know the drill. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter, please let us know your thoughts on it! We love you to bits, and thank you for remaining patient with the progress of the story! <3 :) Stay safe this Halloween if we don’t update again before then!


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